LAT Wed. 1/11 Gagliardo & Burnikel

[magus]

Water(less) Movement

Whistle blower   REF [same clue within a week  --- by now a golden oldie]
Hatch on the Hill   ORRIN [note capital H]
Suffix with tact   ICS
Theme: phrases the last word of which “goes with the” word flow
Conforms {and theme}   GOESWITHTHEFLOW

  Yesterday I “complained” about 40-yr-old entries, today I didn’t know EVITE (somehow I knew PDF).  I’m better with JOHNNYCASH and the old stuff.

RATING:    Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun

[worldofcrosswords]

Is it proper to call ICS a suffix for tact?

Marya

[magus]

Hi, Maya---

I believe it is correct, but I had to think about it.
If you understand tact as meaning, say, "taste" or "diplomacy," then the suffix -ic(s) meaning "form of" would go with it.
I liked the clue because it can be read two ways.

[bbundy]

Hmm...  This explanation doesn't work for me.  Tactics is more of a form of warfare than diplomacy, isn't it?  In the case of roots like "robot", "electron", or "magnet", the addition of "ics" relates directly to the meaning of the root, whereas the meaning of tactics is significantly different than that of the root, so as a suffix-type clue, I think one of the roots I mention would work, but I really don't think "tact" does.  Other thoughts or debate?

[worldofcrosswords]

I'm also not convinced....

Here's the etymology of tactics:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tactics

1620s, from Mod.L. tactica (17c.), from Gk. taktike techne "art of arrangement," noun use of fem. of taktikos "of or pertaining to arrangement," especially "tactics in war,"

etc.

The word "tact" has a different origin:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tact

1650s, "sense of touch or feeling" (with an isolated instance from c.1200), from L. tactus "touch, feeling, handling, sense of touch," from root of tangere "to touch" (see tangent).

etc

As an example of a true suffix, here is the etymology for strategic:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=strategic

"pertaining to strategy," 1825; see strategy + -ic.

Notice it's  "strategy + -ic" where -ic is the suffix.

[magus]

Hi, Marya & bbundy---

My first thought when I saw the entry was that it is not a suffix for the reasons you point out.  But then I thought that the cleverness of the clue deserved a defense; it is, after all, a crossword puzzle where some latitude is given.
Frankly, I agree that my defense is a bit of a stretch, but tact is a root and -ic is a suffix, and if they're joined it makes some sense.

[worldofcrosswords]

magus,

I do like the wordplay on that clue! Plus, even if the clue is a stretch, the answer is pretty easy to get, so no harm done.

Marya

[bbundy]

I also like the wordplay aspect.  I probably would have picked a clue such as "Extender of tact?" which "extends" the wordplay even further :-)  Interesting discussion on this, though!!